| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Southwest Florida Water Management |
| 3 | District; amending s. 373.073, F.S.; increasing the number |
| 4 | of governing board members of the district; revising the |
| 5 | residency requirements for vacancies on the governing |
| 6 | board of the district; providing an effective date. |
| 7 |
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| 8 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph |
| 11 | (e) of subsection (2) of section 373.073, Florida Statutes, are |
| 12 | amended to read: |
| 13 | 373.073 Governing board.-- |
| 14 | (1)(a) The governing board of each water management |
| 15 | district shall be composed of 9 members who shall reside within |
| 16 | the district, except that the Southwest Florida Water Management |
| 17 | District shall be composed of 13 11 members who shall reside |
| 18 | within the district. Members of the governing boards shall be |
| 19 | appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate |
| 20 | at the next regular session of the Legislature, and the refusal |
| 21 | or failure of the Senate to confirm an appointment creates a |
| 22 | vacancy in the office to which the appointment was made. The |
| 23 | term of office for a governing board member is 4 years and |
| 24 | commences on March 2 of the year in which the appointment is |
| 25 | made and terminates on March 1 of the fourth calendar year of |
| 26 | the term or may continue until a successor is appointed, but not |
| 27 | more than 180 days. Terms of office of governing board members |
| 28 | shall be staggered to help maintain consistency and continuity |
| 29 | in the exercise of governing board duties and to minimize |
| 30 | disruption in district operations. |
| 31 | (2) Membership on governing boards shall be selected from |
| 32 | candidates who have significant experience in one or more of the |
| 33 | following areas, including, but not limited to: agriculture, the |
| 34 | development industry, local government, government-owned or |
| 35 | privately owned water utilities, law, civil engineering, |
| 36 | environmental science, hydrology, accounting, or financial |
| 37 | businesses. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general |
| 38 | or special law to the contrary, vacancies in the governing |
| 39 | boards of the water management districts shall be filled |
| 40 | according to the following residency requirements, representing |
| 41 | areas designated by the United States Water Resources Council in |
| 42 | United States Geological Survey, River Basin and Hydrological |
| 43 | Unit Map of Florida--1975, Map Series No. 72: |
| 44 | (e) Southwest Florida Water Management District: |
| 45 | 1. Two members shall reside in Hillsborough County. |
| 46 | 2. One member shall reside in the area consisting of |
| 47 | Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. |
| 48 | 3. Two members shall reside in Pinellas County. |
| 49 | 4. One member shall reside in Manatee County. |
| 50 | 5. Two members One member shall reside in Polk County. |
| 51 | 6. One member shall reside in Pasco County. |
| 52 | 7. One member shall be appointed at large from Levy, |
| 53 | Marion, Citrus, Sumter, Hernando, and Lake Counties. |
| 54 | 8. One member shall be appointed at large from Sarasota, |
| 55 | Hardee, DeSoto, Charlotte, and Highlands Counties. |
| 56 | 9. One member shall be appointed at large from Levy, |
| 57 | Marion, Citrus, Sumter, Hernando, Lake, Sarasota, Hardee, |
| 58 | DeSoto, Charlotte, and Highlands Counties. |
| 59 | 10. One member shall be appointed at large from Sarasota |
| 60 | and Charlotte Counties. |
| 61 |
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| 62 | A No county described in subparagraph 7., subparagraph 8., or |
| 63 | subparagraph 9., or subparagraph 10. may not shall have more |
| 64 | than one member on the governing board. |
| 65 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |